Sachusetts



, `1,620,157 March 8-1927' J. KNls'rRoM BELT4 BUCKLE Filed July 22 1925 1N VEN TOR.l

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

l UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE JOSEPH -KNIS'JJIR'OINI, 0F .ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO EMIL L.- JOHNSON AND ONE-HALF T0 OLOF LUNDSTEN, BOTH OF ATTLEBORO, MAS- SACHUSETTS.

BELT BUCKLE.

Application led July 22, 1925. Serial No. 45,246.

This invention relates to an improved construction of belt buckle for retaining a belt in adjusted position about the body of the wearer; and the object of this invention 6 is to provide such a buckle with a'body portion having side iianges between which one end of` the belt isreceived and having a bail member pivotally mounted between the flanges with a gripper member carried by the bail member and' movable relatively thereto for the purpose of independent adjustment 4for gripping and binding the belt against the inner surface of the body portion of the buckle. j

A further object of the invention is to form the gripper member in a roller gripper cani-shape to roll relativelyto themoveinent of the bail member and cause the cam porltion -to bind the belt a ainst the buckle body. The inventionfurt ier consists in providing cooperating means between the bail member and the cam member carried therefor limitin the relative movement of. the

A M 'g'rippen whio limiting means serves to T* cause a movement to and from the belt gripng position by a .similar `movement of the all.

' With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, yas will be more fully described, andiparticularly pointed out in the ap ended claims.

n` the accompanying drawing: Figure l s a view lof the under side of my improved belt buckle showing the. vbail v member as pivotally' mounted between the rearwardly-turned side walls thereof and the gripper member carried by the bail.

Fi ure 2 is a pers ective view of the bail mem er removed an showing the slot therein adapted to neceive the gripper member.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the gripper member as struck from sheet stock havin a bail engaging tongue portion. Figure 4 shows the gripper member .as partially rolled into tubular form in which the enlarged portion of the engaging face of the grlpper serves toprovide a. gripping cam action on the belt. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the gri per mounte in the bail. igure 6 is a sectional side elevation showing a portion of one end ofthe belt as .con-

nected to the bail and the other end of the belt as bound in the buckle body by the gripper.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view on line 7-7 of Figure (i through the bail and gripper.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmental view showing the cam-shaped gripper as binding a portion of the belt against the inner face of the buckle.

It is found in the practical operation of belt buckles otthis character, of advantage to pivotally mount a bail member between t-he flanges of the buckle body and to mount in the bail member a roller gripper member having a cam action, whereby the cam is permitted a certain amount of movement relatively to that'of the bail to permit the cam by revolving, to grip and securely bind the belt against the inner surface of the buckle body; also to provide simple and etfective means in the bail and gripper for limiting the rotating motion ot' the cam gripper so that when a sufficient biting grip is exerted by the gripper on the belt, it is prevented from further rotation, to secure the belt in the buckle; and the following is a detailed description ot the present embodiment of my invention and showing one means by which these advantageous results may be accomplishedr- With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the front platebf' the belt buckle, which is lprovided with rearwardly-extending side flanges 11 having inturned edges 12 under which the free end of the belt is received to bevgripped in the body, the buckle being also provided with rearwardly-extend'- ing side ears 13 on said flanges in which the bail member 14 is mounted to swing on its kpivots 15.

The outer portion of this bail member is provided with an opening 16 through which the end portion17 of the belt is passed and fastened by an suitable means. That portion of Jvthe-bai between the pivots 15y being .100'

preferably turned inwardly at substantially right angles as at 18 and. provided with a slot 19 intermediate its edges.

In order to provide a suitable roller, cam shaped ripping member for this bail, I have struck rom sheet stock a plate 2() which has a tongue portion 21 onA one edge and a thickened portion 22 on its working face whereby when this sheet member is rolled up into the form best illustrated in Figure 4, it forms a tongue portion 2l which is narrower" than the full width of the gripping surface and is passed through the slot 19 of the bail to abut against the end 25 of the gripping roller, thereby providing stop shoulders 23 and 24 on the ends which are spaced one from the other a sufficient distance to permit a relative rotation between the bail and the gripper and serving as stops to limit this relative rotating movement, whereby a swinging movement of the bail back from operating position serves to lift the gripper from engagement with the belt, to release the belt to be readily removed from the buckle, and also the swinging of the bail back into operating position serves to carry this gripper into engagement with the surface of the belt so that tension on the belt will cause the tubular gripper to 'rotate in its bail whereby the camv serves to bind the belt end 27 against the inner surface of the buckle body.

In some instances, I roughen or corrugate the cam surface 26 so as to better grip the belt and prevent it from slipping.

My improved belt buckle is very simple and practical in construction and is effective in its operation, and by its use a belt may be firmly retained and bound in any desired.

Lemie? ble, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. A buckle comprising a body portion having a front plate with side belt guiding flanges, a bail member to which the end of the belt may be secured pivotally mounted between said flanges, said bail having a portion between the pivotal mounting extending at right angles to the plane of the bail, said portion having a slot formed therein and a sheet metal gripper' member folded into tubular cam shape with its ends disposed at each side of saidrig'ht angularly extending portion and a tongue on said gripper loosely looped through said slot to per-v mit a relative motion of said bail and gripper for the latter to bind the belt against the body, the ends of said gripper member on each side of the slotted portion acting to limit the relative movement of the bail and gripper members..

\2. A buckle comprising a bod portion having a front plate with side b t guiding flanges, a bail member to which the end of the belt may be secured ivotally mounted between said flanges` said ail having a ortion between the pivotal mounting exten ing at right angles to the plane of the bail, said portion having a slot formed therein and a sheet metal gripper member folded into tubular shape with a thickened portion providing a cam surface and a tongue on said gripper loosely looped through said slot to' permit a relative motion ot' said bail and gripper for the latter to bind the belt against the body, the ends of said gripper member on each side of the slotted portion acting to limit the relative movement of the bail and gripper members.-

In testimony whereof I aix my signature JOSEPH KNISTROlil. 

